Cazza Investigates: Dr Carol Dweck’s theory of Mindset, the history of cazza.com and blogging insights.
Dr Carol Dweck is ‘World renowned Stanford University psychologist, with decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly ground breaking idea – the power of mindset.’ I read her book Mindset at a time when I have another cazza.com wobble and wonder what is the point?
Dr Dwecks’ theory of fixed and growth mindset has opened my eyes to my past creative failures. This simple diagram show’s her idea.
I am most definitely in the fixed mindset camp. When the going gets tough or seems too hard I just stop and move on to the next idea and when that fails I always have another idea up my sleeve. I never learn or practice and then feel like a failure and rubbish, it’s my own entire fault.
With the new cazza.com 2016, I have tried to change my ways, to be consistent, to learn new things, be determined, only think positively, visualise, manifestation mediation, etc.
But this week, I’ve felt my fixed mindset coming back to bother me.
My history with cazza.com
cazza.com 2001 version 1
I started making bags in 1999, I was going out a lot and needed all my essentials close by. I drew around them, made a bag with a short beaded strap that would fit over my shoulder, they were popular with my friends and so cazza began. A fancy website, cazza.com was designed and made by a couple of friends. I wanted buyers to chose their own colourways in my bag designs. A complicated site was built with back pages I could update myself. It was early days of the Internet and the guys took ages to make it and cost a small fortune. I didn’t have the ability to run the site and I never got any orders.
cazza.com 2004 version 2
I decided to ditch the specially made site for a Mr Site, make it yourself website company. With my bags and some accessories, beaded arm cuffs, belts and wallets. The process of building a site was clunky, I didn’t find it easy and my fingers still burnt from the expense of the original site, never ask anyone for help, as funds were limited. Again I didn’t push my designs; I held a few sales but never sold much.
cazza.com 2008 version 3
A new Mr Site designed website designed by me, to introduce cazza capes and a little page for cakes, see Cazza Cakes for that story, with promises to update regularly but failed as I was busy costume designing for DOM&NIC.
cazza.com 2013 version 4
A whole new world of cazza.com, a big change. A new logo, see above, designed by a great graphic designer, new capes, a proper photo shoot, the concept of festival party chic. A move to Wix, a website building platform, I made the site myself; I screamed at the screen and drove myself mad to create a cool looking site. That didn’t work because I was too busy working, traveling and becoming a mum.
cazza.com 2016 version 5 ‘the blog years’
The idea to change cazza.com to a blog sprang to my mind in December 2015.
I need a creative outlet and thought writing all about me, using my experience and photos to tell stories would inspire myself and hopefully my readers, a happy healthy life full of love, fun and adventure.
I have lots of ideas, too many ideas. I write in the afternoon, my Caz Time, Think Time, Tea Time. (thank goodness for the three hour nap! See Motherhood for details.)
The rest of the time I am full time mumming and try to be a good wife, step mum and person. It’s not always easy.
My problem is I think too much and not enough action, getting bored, giving up and not seeing projects to the end. There is a pattern in my creative endeavours, with the new cazza.com I don't want to make the same mistakes again, but I sometimes I fear I am heading that way...
Reading Mindset has made me stop and look at my behaviour and address my creative issues of the past. I want to prove to myself I can be successful as cazza.com, and feel happy in my creative life and fulfil all my projects.
My blogging so far...
Blogging do’s
I have posted twice a week for 6 months.
I have attended blog school.
I have bought the bloggers camera of choice, a tripod and lights.
I post to all my social media platforms.
I try and write interesting posts.
And I love the new cazza.com.
My blogging fails
I still don’t get hash tags.
I haven’t followed and commented on influencers on instagram
I haven’t re grammed once a week from these influencers.
I haven’t watched the great webinars Sarah has broadcasted for her squad.
I don’t know how to use my new camera.
I’m still not sure of my ‘niche’ number 1 in No Bull Blog School.
My posts don't always have mass appeal.
New wobble
My wobble came when this months post schedule failed and I looked at Google Analytics, my numbers are bad. Only 6 people clicked on my Motherhood post, that took a week to write and has tons of links. Cazza.com is not about mumming, but I felt I had to get everything out on GG’s 2nd birthday; it is an epic post and boring unless you are a mum or mum to be.
My highest clicks are from my Investigations; Dementia, is prevention the cure and Top 5’s like Secrets of a Happy Marriage. I have rested some categories and want to introduce some new ones soon.
I need help! Maybe I shouldn’t of made 100 neon orange cazza fans for Glastonbury 2016 and paid a few people to help me. That wouldn’t of been as much fun and I will get there. I plan to watch the webinars, have a photography lesson, embrace hash tags and know my vision.
Making cazza.com is a challenge and I am learning lots and my projects are happening, so I should just shut up and get on with it and not let the negative thoughts drive me mad.
Back to Carol
Carol explains the growth mindset. It allows one to improve with effort and hard work; one can get over past failures and embrace the future with learning. The brain is a muscle, it changes and get’s stronger when you use it. The harder you try the more your brain works. And scientists have been able to show just how the brain grows and gets stronger and smarter.
All sounds good, more evidence we can make our brain grow!
Carol’s advice
Make a concrete plan
Know your game
Know what you want to achieve
Know how to get there
Visualize the plan
Carry out the plan.
What Mindset do you have? Do you have a project you’d like to do and never get round to? Maybe read Carol’s book it’s fascinating and she has tons for talks on YouTube.
Have a think about your life and put your thoughts into actions!
I will keep going and growing and you never know where this version of cazza.com will head. Will my subscribers move up from 44? Will I achieve all my goals? Will I work hard and have a body of work I will be proud of?
Please comment on my post, I need feedback and gentle critique.
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Thank you for reading.
Love love,
Cxxx